Sasans only vet quits after pay cut

20-02-2010
Sasans only vet quits after pay cut
Times of India By Himanshu Kaushik
http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=4&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=TOIA&mydateHid=19-02-2010&pubname=&edname=&publabel=TOI

RK Hirpara,posted as a veterinary doctor in Sasan,has quit his job.Reason: he got a pay cut.Two more veterinary doctors who were working with the forest department have also suddenly resigned.
Officials said these veterinary doctors were on contract with the forest department and were paid Rs 14,000 per month besides travel and dearness allowances.But of late,these veternary doctors were taken on contract with the animal husbandary department on a fixed salary of Rs 12,800 per month and no DA was offered to them.

In all,there are four doctors,two posted in Sakkarbaug zoo in Junagadh,where lions are brought for treatment,one in Bhavnagar and another in Sasan.Of the four,Dr RF Kadiwar is on deputation to Sakkarbaug from Amreli district panchayat,while Dr CM Bhuva,the senior-most doctor at Sakkarbaug,was promoted and sent to Morbi in the animal husbandary department.

A veterinary doctor refusing to be quoted said earlier he drew Rs 14,000 per month and another Rs 3,000 as TA & DA.As his was a field job rescuing animals,he had to travel a lot with the labour and beat guards.The expenses are borne by the doctors as they are the senior most.So far,we were regularly promised that we would be confirmed as full-time doctors, says Hirpara.He said that he had been associated with the forest department for the past 12 years and was getting around Rs 16,000 per month,but under the new contract his salary was fixed at Rs 12,800.

He said a person who has put in 12 years of service should ideally be drawing around Rs 40,000 per month.A senior officer said that after Hirpara and Bhuva,there was no one as experienced as the two and the department was left with only one doctor who too is only on deputation.

A member of the state wildlife board said that in absence of the doctors,the injured animals would now have to be transferred to Sakkarbaug Zoo.